Service tray



Oct.' 18,1927.

G. E. WHITNEY SERVICE TRAY Filed Nob. 12, 1.926

IELE- treme ends of the tray corners.

Patented Oct. 18, 1927.

UNITEDJSTATES.

PATENT carries.' 'v

GEQRGE'E; WHITNEY, or Bainenronr, connnoricn'r, Assrenon To SAMUELZI'MMER,

or BRIDGEPOBT, CONNECTICUT.V y

SILRICLE` TRAY."

Application filed November 12, 1925.` Serial No. 148,017.

This invention relates to service trays, and has particular reference to suchA devices Vin which legs-are provided that are capable of being' extended outwardly and folded against the bottom of the tray proper.

One of the objects of the invention is to hold the legs in their opened or folded positions without-the aid of any spring bar or other similardevice that is fixed to the central portion of the tray. i

The provision of any such fastening device mars the central portion of the tray and is quite objectionable and in the present invention thc securing devices are fixed to the ex- A further object is to provi'deresilient means `that will automatically operate for preserving` the positionsv of the legs when either opened' or closed.

A still further object is to provide auxiliary. means for positively locking the legs in their opened condition so that they cannot accidentally collapse.

In the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this application Figure l is a bott-om perspective view of one end ofthe tray with the legs broken away and in opened position- Figure 2 is a similar view with the legs in closed position- Figure 3 is a' fragmentary viewof one corner of the tray with the leg element sectioned and in the position which it -occupies when opened and with the manually operable lever as it appears prior to depression- Figure 4 is a section at the line 4-41 of Figure 3"- Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the position of parts when the manually operable lever has been depressed to force the leg clear of the rectangular portion of the vert-icalrecess, and f Figure 6 is a section at the line 66 of Figure 5. f l

Similar numerals of reference denote like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

The legs are made from flat sheet metal stock and their side portions are resilient.

Y 1 is the tray proper, 2 are fixtures secured in pairs to the bottom portions of the sides 3 oft-he tray, these fixtures having depending therefrom immovable brackets that arev generally denoted by the numeral 4, said brackets having within their lower outer portions vertically vdisposed recesses or pockat right angles tothe inner walls of these recesses so as to afford rigid stops to prevent the overthrow of the legs. -f

The inner walls of one recessed portion 5 at each end of the tray are 'at right anglesv to the back wall of said portionfafl` shown at a and terminate in inclinesv Y) vthat lead to the inwardly bent or forced portion 7, and the lower walls of the recesses 6 are inclined as shown at c and lead to said portions 7 while the inner walls of the `other two recessed portions 5 are inclined, as shown vat d, 'all for the purpose presently to be explained. 1 y

The legs are formed kin integral pairs, each pair consisting of leg members proper and designatedbythe numeral 9 which. members are bent to vform suitable feet that are not shown. rlhe extremities of these lmembers 9 are provided with fixed pivotk studs l0 .that-` are driven firmly through said members and extend loosely throughthc brackets s o as to afford lpivotsfor said members, and the studs that are pivoted to' theb'racketsfwhose recesses 5 have thev rectangular inner walls a,

are provided on their innerv ends with heads 11 that arev spacedlfrom the leg members, and loose arou-ndthese particulary studs and intermediate said heads and members V are levers l2 which have teats 13 lanced there* from and extending loosely through the leg members andV abutting against the brackets,

and 6. Y i v The legs are alwaysunder tension when they are housed within the recesses 5 and 6,

and when they are opened they will contact 'the inclines c andwill ride on the portion 7,

thereby .causing thev legs to be resiliently equipped with means for securing" them as,v

as more particularly shown at Figures4, 5,

rforced inwardly, and whelrthey have been i in M against collapsing, but this is not necessary,

since collapsing is impossible if one leg ot' each pair is so equipped. y l

lllhen the legs are to be folded the lever l2 is depressed, thus Aforcing the teat or projection 13 against the bracket, and since the ulcruin or purchase ot the lever is beneath the head ll, the leg will be deflected clear of the wall a and brought opposite the` inoline b, whereupon said leg and its complelnentaryfleg may beswung along the portion until they are opposite the recesses o', whereupon they will by their resiliency spring within these recesses.

- lt will, 01"' course, be noted that the legs are under greater tension when they are riding in contact with the portion .7, so that it will beclearthat the legs will be held by a firm spring action both in their opened and closed positions.

a The rectangular recesses heretofore described are-absolutely necessary, but various ways of releasinglthe legs from' tliese`nrecesses niay be employed, and the invention is not limited to the specilic release ineans shown.

That is claimed is l. A service tray comprising a tray proper having corners, two sets oflixtures secured tothe' bottoni othe tour corners of the tray, one set at each end of the tray, said iintures comprising depending brackets having` vertically disposed recessed portions inV their lower outer ends and horizontally disposed recessed portions at their inner upper ends, the stock Vot the brackets intermediate said recesses being forced inwardly, one ol sai-d vertically disposed recessed portions ot' each set of brackts having its side `walls extending sub; antiallyl at right angles to the backwall, `the inner of said side Walls terminating iii a beveled portion that ,leads to said inwardly orcedpait of the brackets,

while the outenwall el" the horizontally dis` posed recessed portion is inclined and also leads to said inwardly `torced `part ofthe" `braclfets, a rleg element lor each of the brackets, pivot pin secured `interinediate its ends to cach or' the leg `elements having ahead on one end and having its opposite end loosely received in an opening' provided therefor in thebracket, and a lever pivoted to said pinintermediate the leg and head and having a teat projecting :from its inner face and extendingt'reely through an opening provided therefor in the leg adapted to contact with said bracket, whereby inoveinent of the leverin one direction will forceits pivoted `end `outwardly against said head `and withdraw the "leg troni said rectangular recessed'portioii to a position opposite the is I i 1,646,333]

bevel leading into said portion and thereby enable the leg to be folded.

. 2. A service tray comprising a tray proper having corners, two sets of fixtures secured to the bottoni of the `four corners of the' tray, one set at each end ot' the tray, said fixtures comprising depending brackets having vertically disposed recessed portions in their low- A er outer ends and horizontally disposed recessedportions attlieir inner upper ends, the stock` otthe brackets intermediate said recesses being forced inwardly, one-ot said said inwardly forced part of the brackets, a

leg elenient for each of the brackets, and a pivot pin carried by each of the leg elements and having one ot its ends loosely received in an opening ,provided `therefor in the bracket whereby to a'ord lateral movement of the leg element and pivot pinwith respect to the bracket. l i

3.' A service tray comprising a tray proper having corners, two sets of lixtures secured to the bottom at the four corners ofthe tray, one set at each end` of the tray, said fixtures comprising depending brackets having vertically disposed recessed portions in their lower outer ends and horizontally disposed res cessedyport-ions at their inner upper ends, the stock oi' the brackets intermediate said re cesses being forced inwardly, one of said vcrtically` disposedrecessed portions .of each set of brackets having its sidewalls extending substantially.v at right angles to the back wall, the inner of' said side Walls terminating in a beveled portion that leads'to said in- Wai'dlyiiorced part of-"the brackets,lwhile the outer wall of the horizontally disposed recessed portion is inclined and also leads to said inwardly forced leg element for each of thebrackets, a pivot pin secured intern'iediate its ends to eachI of the leg elements and loosely received in` an opening provided therel'or in the bracket, a head being iljoiined on oneeiid ol a pivot pin for one' legateach end oi the tray,`andA nie-ans interposed between said heads'aifid leg elements to force the latter in a lateral direction toward and away from 4the bracket whereby swinging.nioveinent of the legclenient is obtained. 1

In testimony whereof I `a'liX my signature hereto, GEORGE E. VHTNEY,

part ofthe brackets, 

